| Search our quarter-million Q&As |
Home of the finishing HOTLINE since 1989
-----Spontaneous Combustion of Buffing Lint
Q. I am working on a buffing facility and we just recently had a fire on a roll-off container that we use to dispose our buffing lint. The fire started by itself. Can anybody tell me where can I find information about spontaneous combustion of buffing lint and ways to prevent it? I think that the risk of another fire still exists.
Carlos Delgado- Mexicali, BC, Mexico
2000
A. Carlos,
Surely your local fire department would be a good source, an 'alluminating' source of info, eh?
Lemme hazard a guess that thar buffin' lint weren't perfect an' had some oils of some type in it.
Try boiled linseed oil ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] and rags! ... or buffing lint, that's if you want to be a wannabe pyromaniac! Sure will catch fire one of these days!
You have 2 remedies. l) burn the damn stuff and don't leave it to self-ignite. 2) Keep it nice and wet...
Cheers!
Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).
2000
Q. Spontaneous combustion of sanding dust from the finishing of hardwood floors: I'm a fire investigator and am currently investigating a fire that is most probably due to improper disposal of sanding dust. The hardwood floors in the house were being sanded and the dust was collected in a vacuum cleaner, which was left in the house. Several hours later there was a fire that originated in the area were the vacuum cleaner was stored. Any information pertaining to this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Albert Spencerengineering - Nashville, Tennessee
2006
A. It certainly sounds possible, Albert; the more so if any resin was involved. But your situation is outside of my experience and tangential to the focus of this industrial metal finishing site, so I can't promise that helpful responses will be forthcoming. Good luck.
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
2006
A. In the safety sections on two separate dust collectors we have specifically list buffing lint as one of the hazardous dust that could be collected.
Kirk Chambers- Louisville, Kentucky
November 11, 2010
Sorry! Finishing.com is temporarily Read-Only.
Ted Mooney is retiring but I have several offers to take it over.
We're working hard to make sure we find it the best new home.